Our story began in 2004 at a school dance, when a friend nudged Heiko in Larissa’s direction at just the right moment. We’ve been dancing our way through life together ever since, and for over a decade we’ve been teaching swing at our school, Basel Jitterbugs, and at events all over the world. Along the way, we’ve competed and celebrated successes at events such as Rock That Swing, The Snowball, the Valencia Balboa Festival, and the Barcelona Shag Festival. In our classes, we help dancers find their own style of expression. In Basel, we also organize three international festivals: Jitterbugs Delight, Balboa Delight, and Shag Delight.
You can read the full story of how a little nudge at a school dance turned into a dance school in Basel Live Magazine.
Where to find us
We teach locally in Basel and regularly travel to festivals. Here you’ll find upcoming and past events where we’re teaching or have taught; entries without a note: Teaching. We’d love for you to join us—it’s always worth it! Not sure which festival is right for you? Just get in touch with us.
Are you organizing a festival and would like to book us as teachers? Let us know what you have planned and get in touch with us as soon as possible.
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Jitterbugs Delight, January 8–10, 2028, Basel, Switzerland
Breezy Balboa, Feb. 12–21, 2027, Thailand
Nao Swing, March 5–7, 2027, Nantes, France
Wham, March 12–14, 2027, Brescia, Italy
Alpine Jitterbugs, April 11–13, 2027, Innsbruck, Austria
Spread The Shag, April 16–18, 2027, Konstanz
Balboa Delight, July 2–4, 2027, Basel, Switzerland
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Jitterbugs Delight, January 9–11, 2026, Basel, Switzerland
Holly Lollies, February 13-15, 2026, Strasbourg, France
Lindy, Balboa, Shag, February 27–March 1, 2026, Bologna, Italy
Fast Feet Charlie, March 20–22, 2026, Karlsruhe, Germany
Shag ‘n’ Bal, April 10–12, 2026, Innsbruck, Austria (Performing)
Valencia Balboa Festival, May 22–24, 2026, Valencia, Spain (Competition)
Balboa Delight, June 26–28, 2026, Basel, Switzerland
Shag Delight, September 11–13, 2026, Basel, Switzerland
Balboa & Shag Festival, September 25-27, 2026, Augsburg, Germany
Shanghai Balboa Weekend, October 2–4, 2026, Shanghai, China
Barcelona Shag Festival, October 16–19, 2026, Barcelona, Spain
Rocky Balberna, November 6–8, 2026, Bern, Switzerland
Balboa Series, December 4–6, 2026, Brescia, Italy
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Jitterbugs Delight, 10.-12.01.2025, Basel, Switzerland
Save the Fast Dance, 17.-19.01.2025, Cambridge, UK
Fast Feet Charlie, 21-23.03.2025, Karlsruhe, Germany
Alpine Jitterbugs, 11-13.04.2025, Innsbruck, Austria
Warsaw Shag Festival, 09.-11.05.2025, Warsaw, Poland
Valencia Balboa Festival, 16.-18.05.2025, Valencia, Spain
Swing Paradise, 06.-08.06.2025, Vilnius, Lithuania
Balboa Delight, 27-29.06.2025, Basel, Switzerland
Shag Ahoy, 22-24.08.2025, Hamburg, Germany
Shag Delight, 12.-14.09.2025, Basel, Switzerland
Balboa & Shag Festival, September 26-28, 2025, Augsburg, Germany
Shanghai Balboa Weekend, 03.-05.10.2025, Shanghai, China
Barcelona Shag Festival, 16.-19.10.2025, Barcelona, Spain
Rocky Balberna, 07.-09.11.2025, Bern, Switzerland
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Jitterbugs Delight 12.-14.01.2024, Basel, Switzerland
Rock That Swing Festival, 08.-12.02.2024, Munich, Germany
Alpine Jitterbugs, 01.-03.03.2024, Innsbruck, Austria
Swing without mustard, 17-20.05.2024, St. Gallen, Switzerland
Swing Paradise, 07.-09.06.2024, Vilnius, Lithuania
Balboa Delight, 28-30.06.2024, Basel, Switzerland
Shag Delight, 06.-08.09.2023, Basel, Switzerland
Shag Republic 13-15.09.2023, Prague, Czech Republic
Barcelona Shag Festival, 20.-22.09.2024, Barcelona, Spain
Rocky Balberna, 08.-10.11.2024, Bern, Switzerland
Stir it, 14-17.11.2024, Zurich, Switzerland
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Jitterbugs Delight 13-15.01.2023, Basel, Switzerland
Swingshot Balboa, 28-30.04.2023, Lausanne, Switzerland
Boogie Bears Dance Camp, 26.-29.05.2023 Landsberg am Lech, Germany
Embarquement Swing, 02.-04.06.2023 Lille, France
Swing Paradise, 08.-11.06.2023, Vilnius, Lithuania
Balboa Delight 30.06.-02.07.2023, Basel, Switzerland
Glasgow Shag Festival, 07.-10.07.2023, Glasgow, Scotland
Policoro in Swing, 21-28.03.2023, Policoro, Italy
Shag Delight 01.-03.09.2023, Basel, Switzerland
Sicily in Swing, 22-24.09.2023, Catania, Italy
Barcelona Shag Festival, 12.-15.10.2023, Barcelona, Spain
Munich Shag and Balboa Festival, 20-22.10.2023, Munich, Germany
Black Bottom Dance School Anniversary, 27.-29.10.2023, Valencia, Spain
Rocky Balberna, 10-12.11.2023, Bern, Switzerland
Stir-It!, 17-19.11.2023, Zurich, Switzerland
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Jitterbugs Delight 14-16.01.2022, Basel, Switzerland
Leapin' Lindy 04.-06.03.2022, Bern, Switzerland
Alpine Jitterbugs, 20-22.05.2022, Innsbruck, Austria
Boogie Bears Dance Camp, 03.-06.06.2022 Landsberg am Lech, Germany
Swing Paradise, 10.-12.06.2022, Vilnius, Lithuania
Shag Ahoy, 19-21.08.2022. Hamburg, Germany
Barcelona Shag Festival, 27.10.-01.11.2022, Barcelona, Spain
Rocky Balberna, 11-13.11.2022, Bern, Switzerland
Stir It!, 18-20.11.2022, Bern, Switzerland
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Swing Paradise 2021 (Cancelled due to Covid-19)
Boogie Bears Dance Camp 2021 (Cancelled due to Covid-19)
Shag Ahoy 2021 (Cancelled due to Covid-19)
Helswingi 2021 (Cancelled due to Covid-19)
Lausanne Balboa Weekend 29.08.2021
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Lausanne Balboa Weekend 18.01.2020
Winter Jamboree 15-16.02.2020
Swing Paradise 2020 (Cancelled due to Covid-19)
Boogie Bears Dance Camp 2020 (Cancelled due to Covid-19)
What a Shag Workshop 2020 (Online edition)
Mors Kazan 2020 (Cancelled due to Covid-19)
Shag Ahoy 2020 (Cancelled due to Covid-19)
Barcelona Shag Festival 2020 (Online edition)
Helswingi 2020 (Cancelled due to Covid-19)
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Shag-a-bal Zagreb 01.-03.02.2019
Rock that Swing Festival 28.02.-04.03.2019
Mind-the-Shag 29-31.03.2019
Swing Paradise 2019
Balboa at Spirit de Milan 2019
Lausanne Shag & Balboa Weekend 29-30.06.20219
Summer Swing Lucerne 15-19.07.2019
Shag Ahoy 2019
Helswingi 20-22.09.2019
Lausanne Balboa & Shag 05.-06.10.2019
Swingdom Utrecht 2019
Edinburgh Bal & Shag Festival 18-20.10.2019
Barcelona Shag Festival 2019
StirIt 2019
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Shag the Winter Away 16-18.03.2018
Mind the Shag 2018
Warsaw Shag Festival 10-13.05.2018
Shag Ahoy 2018
Swing in Milan 11-14.10.2018
Barcelona Shag Festival 2018
StirIt! Zurich 16-18.11.2018
Fast Swing Weekend Tallinn 23-25.11.2018
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Shag on Fire 28.09.-01.10.2017
Munich Balboa & Shag Festival 20.-22.10.2017
Secrets of Winter Hamburg 02.-03.12.2017
Impressions
Shows, Teachers Presentations and Social Improvisation.